Overview

• The trainee received a Patel‑signed letter dated Oct. 1 ordering summary removal for “poor judgment” and an “inappropriate display of political signage” during a 2024 Los Angeles assignment.
• The letter, shared with outlets, did not name the item, but multiple reports attribute the action to a Pride flag previously displayed at the employee’s desk.
• The firing coincided with the first day of the government shutdown, and the FBI did not immediately respond to media requests for comment.
• Colleagues expressed concern, with some agents reviewing workstations and social media for material that could be viewed as politically sensitive, according to newsroom reporting.
• The move follows a series of personnel actions under Patel, including recent dismissals of more than a dozen agents who knelt during 2020 crowd‑control duties, and comes as veterans note a Pride flag had not historically violated FBI policy.